


Adjustment

by blackwyvern



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2012)
Genre: M/M, Ocassional curse word, mentions of drinking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-21
Updated: 2015-07-21
Packaged: 2018-04-10 13:30:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4393745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackwyvern/pseuds/blackwyvern
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Casey and Raph have a discussion over Raph's mutation day present.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Adjustment

**Author's Note:**

  * For [crazycatlady713](https://archiveofourown.org/users/crazycatlady713/gifts).



It was pretty late for a visit, Raph thought as Casey rounded the corner into view. The lanky teen not jumping the turnstiles as usual and absent his hockey gear. That alone had surprised Raph, even when not on patrol Casey always seemed to conveniently have his gear near by. Just in case, he'd once said.

But the usual golf bag was absent, the hockey mask missing and Casey was lugging an oddly flat cardboard package. Pulling himself off the pit bench and away from a movie that had b written all over it, Raph took the package from the struggling Casey. It wasn't particularly heavy really, just awkward in that way only large flat boxes can be.

“Thanks man.” Casey said, rubbing at his shoulder, “Sorry it's so late.”

Raph shrugged, curiosity tugging at him as he examined the package.

“Where is everybody?”

“Donnie decided he wanted to make a junkyard run, somethin about needing a few more parts for the van. Leo wanted some fresh air and Mikey probably just went to be annoying. Personally I'm glad for a lil time off from those guys.”

“Well then, looks like we can give these babies a test drive once they're set up without any interruptions.” Casey said, crossing the lair and heading back toward the bedrooms.

Raph's mind came to a screeching halt, staring after Casey, then down at the nondescript cardboard, “You didn't?”

“I totally did.” Casey laughed, turning and walking backwards and somehow managing to avoid a collision as he turned the corner.

“You didn't have to ya know.” Raph said, following Casey into his room and setting the box on the floor.

“Yeah I did. I missed your birthday with all that invasion crap. I'd already bought'em. Hated havin to leave'em, yanno?” Casey sighed, “But it's not like you had a drum set at the farm house.”

Opening the box, his shell turned toward Casey to hide his smile, Raph carefully pulled out the drum heads. He hadn't been able to play properly in months, even before the invasion, his drum sets current heads warped from use.

They worked together in comfortable silence, pulling the old heads off and replacing them. It was slow going, Raph testing each drum with a few quick taps near each bracket, then tightening with the drum key just slightly, testing again, trying to pull the perfect sound out of each individual piece. 

The difference was almost immediate, the sound of the old heads had been dull, full of nasty vibrations, the sound unclear. The new heads, gave each piece a full sound, and Casey marveled at Raph's self taught skill. The last time he'd been here, hanging in Raph's room, reading magazines, and maybe splitting a beer in secret that had been more sour acid then anything alcoholic, he'd made a comment about the drums.

Raph had played them for Casey, but had complained almost non stop throughout the impromptu session about the sound. One of the problems with having little, if any, money and being unable to exactly walk into the local music store, was getting parts from the junk yard that hadn't had the life used out of them. Raph was glad he'd never picked up the guitar, if getting drum heads was difficult, getting decent strings would've been a nightmare.

“How exactly did you get inta playin drums?”

Raph chuckled, tightening the drum key on his snare, then tapping with a calloused finger. “It was Splinter's idea. I used ta bang on everythin down here. Pipes, bricks, dishes, the dojo door. I was pretty restless. That and I was uncoordinated as hell.”

That had caught Casey off guard. “Bullshit. Way you twirl yer Sai around...”

“Yeah well, gettin good at twirling Sai without cuttin yerself or dropping it takes time. And it's not like practice weapons are easy to come across or make right? And I might've broken more then a few. So Sensei was in the dump and found this really cheap drum set. Looked like some kid had probably gotten it as a present and then decided drumming was too much work.” Raph tapped the snare again, then gave it a hit dead center with his stick. Nodding and pleased with the sound he continued, “I had to do rhythm drills on this thing for weeks. It was...boring, but the fun thing was when I wasn't practicing somethin specific. Then I'd just let loose. Think I deafened a few ears more'n once.”

They shared a laugh, Casey handing Raph another head as the turtle removed an old one from one of the smaller tom-tom drums. 

“You decided to tell Donnie yet?” Raph asked, pointedly not looking at Casey.

“Nah, let him sweat a few more weeks. Honestly I'm surprised April hasn't murdered him yet.”

“Yeah...”

“Raph...dude if you want me to tell him now I kin do that ya know. Just thought it'd be funny.”

“Pffft like it matters ta me.” Raph said, “….It is pretty funny.”

Casey gave him a hard look over the drums.

“What?”

“....If yer that uncomfortable.”

“I'm not,” Raph said waving him off. Then seeming to buckle under Casey's sharp eyed stare, “Okay fine, possibly. Maybe...”

“Raph, man seriously, I told ya April and I are friends. That's it. We both decided we'd kill each other if we were dating.”

“Uh huh...”

“Seriously...” Casey huffed, eyes rolling. Leaning, carefully, over the drums he kissed his boyfriend full on the mouth. 

Casey's kisses were brash and biting; raw and sharp. If the rest of him was calm and collected, Raph's traitorous tail had no issue with slapping out a staccato beat against his stool as Casey pulled back.

“If it bothers ya that much I'll let your brother in on the joke and we can tell your family while we're at it.”

Chuckling darkly Raph grinned, “Nah, let's wait a few more weeks.”

**Author's Note:**

> A bday request for the lovely crazycatlady713 :)


End file.
